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Identifying strategies for conducting impact assessment (IA) suited to unconventional fossil fuel (UFF) development, and practical opportunities to apply them, is an important activity given the continued importance of shale and other UFF energy resources. This paper offers a case study of an iterative public health planning process – Mobilizing Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) – that produced a version of integrated IA over a 10-year period in the Bakken region in the US. Through mixed qualitative methods, including focus groups, Ripple Effect Mapping and interviews, this study assessed the applicability of the MAPP process in the UFF development environment. The assessment draws on evaluation frameworks offered in theoretical and applied IA literatures. We found evidence to recommend MAPP as a possible solution to the lack of mandated, formal IA practices in UFF regions in the US based on three benefits: (1) MAPP aligns closely with IA best practices in form and approach; (2) our case study suggests that MAPP creates the for direct linkages between assessment, monitoring, and mitigation that are frequently absent in IA processes; and (3) participants in the process in our study note its utility in helping them negotiate the specific challenges of UFF development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural districts are an increasingly popular and important element of both urban and cultural experiences in the USA. Cultural districts get invoked as a tool for revitalising neighbourhoods and regions, cultivating arts and cultural resources, and other goals. This article briefly describes the phenomenon of cultural districts in the USA, reviews some claims made about their impacts, and provides evidence of districts' effects. Neighbourhood-level statistical analyses identify socioeconomic trends in neighbourhoods affected by districts. The results reflect the heterogeneity in cultural districts and in cities' experiences with them. The findings inform policies supporting creative placemaking in general and cultural districts as a system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, from 1999 to 2019, opioid overdose, either regularly prescribed or illegally acquired, was the cause of death for nearly 500,000 people. In addition to this pronounced mortality burden that has increased gradually over time, opioid overdose has significant morbidity with severe risks and side effects. As a result, opioid misuse is a cause for concern and is considered an epidemic. This article examines the trends and consequences of the opioid epidemic presented in recent international literature, reflecting on the causes of this phenomenon and the possible strategies to address it. The detailed analysis of 33 international articles highlights numerous impacts in the social, public health, economic, and political spheres. The prescription opioid epidemic is an almost exclusively North American problem. This phenomenon should be carefully evaluated from a healthcare systems perspective, for consequential risks and harms of aggressive opioid prescription practices for pain management. Appropriate policies are required to manage opioid use and prevent abuse efficiently. Examples of proper policies vary, such as the use of validated questionnaires for the early identification of patients at risk of addiction, the effective use of regional and national prescription monitoring programs, and the proper dissemination and translation of knowledge to highlight the risks of prescription opioid abuse.

The debate surrounding US climate policy has been strongly influenced by concerns about the impact that placing a price on GHG emissions could have on potentially vulnerable populations, including senior citizens. This article shows that seniors would be one of the best protected groups under the climate policies recently debated in the US Congress. Moreover, low-income groups would also be protected generally under these proposals. This is due to a combination of existing government transfer programmes that automatically adjust benefit payments to account for inflation and provisions in the proposals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors undertake an exploratory study, in the context of a digitally disadvantaged community in the United States, to determine what factors are associated with e-government website visitation. Following a community-based initiative, designed to stimulate computer literacy and access to information and communication technologies for residents and neighbors of an underserved public housing community, a survey of e-government website visitation was undertaken. The results indicate that over half of the respondents are aware of or have visited e-government websites, with nearly a third indicating they intend to use e-government websites in the future. Awareness of e-government websites was found to be significantly related to e-government website visitation. Internet experience and perceived access barriers were found not to be significantly related to e-government website visitation. This research enhances the understanding of visitation of e-government services among techno-disadvantaged citizens to encourage greater inclusion. The authors conclude by emphasizing the importance of a community organizing strategy to sustain e-government participation among the digitally disadvantaged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]